Russia learned about the cruelty of kok-boru at the CMI

photo author here and further: Alexander Zabegin

The news about what happened on February 24 at the CMI was distributed through federal channels. The plots about the cruel game were aired on the air of Vesti on Rossiya 1, on the Moscow24 channel, large material was published by Meduza, Komsomolskaya Pravda, “Moscow’s comsomolets”, even very distant personalities drew attention to the game, for example, a fighter for a comfortable urban environment and a popular blogger Ilya Varlamov.

Recall that on February 24, at the CMI, with a colossal crowd of people, the national game of the countries of Central Asia was held. kok-boru. Its essence is to take away the carcass of a goat from the opposing team (fortunately, this time it was a dummy) and throw it into a tai-cauldron – a large tall tank with a round hole. In photographs, videos and recordings of the live broadcast, there is blood from mouths torn by bridles, the most dangerous collisions and falls of horses.

Despite the demonstration of cruelty, anyone could see the game, the age limit was set 0+, children up to 6 years could attend the event is free. The tournament was broadcast online on the official YouTube channel of the CMI. The broadcast is saved, and you can watch it in its entirety (timing: from 4:51:00).

As it turned out later, the game was played according to outdated rules, from which International Kok-Boru Federation refused back in mid-February in favor of more humane ones. The agreement on this was signed by all member countries of the Association, except for Kyrgyzstan.

Christina Karamyshina, President of the Kok-Boru Union in Russia, confirmed that the new rules were not followed during the game at the CMI.

After the incident at the CMI Jyrgalbek Samatov, President of the Kok-Boru Federation of Kyrgyzstan, one of the organizers of the game and the author of a quote that any sport is traumatic, and horse blood can also be seen at ordinary races, was suspendedfrom the post of President of the National Federation, but remained as Secretary General of the International Federation.

Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection Vladimir Burmatov said “Parliamentskaya Gazeta”: “Prosecution Supervisory Bodies Should Respond to the Kok-Boru Scandal at the Hippodrome in Moscow.”

Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation started checking for horse abuse.

Petitionfor the ban on such events, which at the time of publication of the article was signed by almost 10 000 people.

В plot of the TV channel “Moscow24” comment was included Kirill Manuilova, a veterinarian who attended the event: “On the Internet now, all this is very much inflated. These horses already had mouth injuries when they arrived. But these were old injuries, already healed.”

In the same video, a horse appeared, very similar to the one that was captured with a torn mouth and a blood-stained body. Independent veterinarian, who was invited by the organizers, examined the horse’s mouth on camera (although, as the “equestrian” commentators noted, such an examination should take place on a horse free from a bridle and using at least a flashlight) and concluded: “Well, yes, there is a small bug, such happens with horses, by chance she can even somehow twitch herself. This can happen from eating roughage.”

The lawyer invited by the TV channel Evgeny Korchago noted: “The signs of the corpus delicti “cruel treatment of animals” are quite possible to see. Cruelty to animals is understood as such treatment when they are injured or killed, and this is done out of hooligan or selfish motives. Here we see that tickets were sold. And if the action is committed with several animals or with a broadcast on the Internet, then criminal liability provides for punishment from 3 to 5 years in prison.”

Administration JSC “Russian hippodromes” officially answered that she only provided the site for rent, and the organizer of the competition is Kok-Boru Federation of Kyrgyzstan. It is emphasized that the organizer was obliged to provide veterinary documents, observe safety precautions and ensure the presence of a doctor and a veterinarian. The management of the hippodrome forbade the use of a bit and other devices that injure horses on its territory. “At the end of the event, the organizers refused veterinary care,” the statement said.

A little later in an interview with Vesti Tatiana Moiseeva, head of the production activities department of Russian Hippodromes JSC, noted: “This is their game, this is their national treasure. The money raised from this event will go toward paying for the prize money.”

Azamat Adelgaziev, presented by Vesti as the organizer of this tournament, assured: “Horses specially bred for this cannot do without this [without participating in games]. They are bored”.

Nikolai Isakov, General Director of Rosippodromy JSC, commented on the game as follows: “What we saw today, and the number of people who came, of course, surprises us. But it says that this game is interesting. If the game is interesting, then it needs to be done”

The International Kok-Boru Federation has been in existence since 2001. Its founders were Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Then China, Russia and Afghanistan joined. This discipline is included in the program of the World Nomad Games, international competitions in ethnic sports. Since 2017, kok-boru has been included in the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage List.

And in November 2019, the first ever world kok-boru championship is scheduled in Tashkent.

We are waiting for the results of the audit of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.